'Well, That’s Just My Opinion': The Principle of Expression and the Public Debate

Abstract

The public debate is commonly criticised for lacking deliberation. Therefore, I argue, we need a better understanding of the rhetorical modes occurring instead of deliberation. By examining the interaction in a particularly expressive arena for public debate, namely public comment fields on Facebook, I suggest that the term 'principle of expression' to describe a discursive ideal that directly counteracts the ideal of deliberative disagreement by favouring subjective expression over reason-giving. According to this ideal, the public debate should not primarily play out as an exchange of opinions but, instead, accommodate authentic displays of opinion. Moreover, the beliefs and opinions voiced in the public debate are seen as purely expressive: they arise out of the individual's inviolable interiority and individuality and concern not the general but the particular. Thus, argumentation is not required, and criticism is unwarranted. In the article, I explicate the 'principle of expression' and discuss its implications for the democratic debate. In doing so, I offer a way to describe, interpret and critically evaluate instances of public debate where deliberative justification and contestation is undermined by subjective expression.